As Ken Niumatalolo noted earlier in the week, the country will be in good hands because of the service his Midshipmen provide once they graduate. They're often lauded for being brave, but fear is never mentioned. Yet that's what the Navy coach was talking about Thursday in a darkened tunnel deep within Reliant Stadium, moments following an improbable 35-13 upset of Missouri in the Texas Bowl.

The notion of how a service academy toppled a BCS contender was still difficult to process.

“We were scared to death,” Niumatalolo admitted.

It was the first bowl victory for Navy (10-4) under Niumatalolo's guidance, the academy's first since 2005, and it was surprisingly one-sided. Behind Texas Bowl MVP Ricky Dobbs' 296 yards of offense (166 rushing) and four touchdowns (three rushing), the undersized Mids outgained one of the nation's most prolific offenses, 515-356.

New wrinkles pay off

“We felt like they were supposed to beat us, so we knew we were the underdog,” Niumatalolo said. “Some of the things we tried — just two defensive ends, no huddle, which we'd never done all year — were a little unorthodox, but we felt like we had to do something. We couldn't just line up and play against these guys — they're too good.

“That was our approach.”

And Navy never wavered. Not when the Tigers sprinted to a 7-0 lead less than 30 seconds into the game when quarterback Blaine Gabbert tossed a bubble screen to wide receiver Danario Alexander, who raced 58 yards to the end zone, and not when Dobbs fumbled on Navy's ensuing possession.

The Mids' defense, as it did all afternoon, responded. And then the triple option went to work, but with a twist. Dobbs, the junior quarterback who had 91 attempts all season, threw 14 passes and completed nine. It was yet another wrinkle in a scheme Missouri (8-5) found disarming.

“They're really efficient at what they do,” Tigers linebacker Sean Weatherspoon said. “They run it and they run it well, and they're going to keep doing it. We knew what they're going to do, but the thing is, they kind of take your instincts away from you.

“And then you use your instincts, and it kind of puts you in a bind.”

Missouri, which was 12th in the country in rushing defense and had allowed just 96.4 yards per game, was gashed for 385 yards on the ground. In addition to Dobbs, running back Marcus Curry (12 carries for 109 yards, one touchdown) also surpassed the century mark.

“That's probably the worst performance since I've been a head coach of a football team, the way they played,” he said, later insisting he was referring to Mizzou's bowl history.

Asked later if his team might have somehow overlooked Navy, Pinkel replied, “I think that would be an excuse, and we don't do that.”

Time on Mids' side

The Mids, who led 14-10 at halftime, added another 21 points in the second half, intercepting Gabbert twice and sacking him four times while holding the Tigers to a fourth-quarter field goal.

Time of possession was telling. Navy had the ball for almost 41 minutes. Take a quick look at the scoring drives for both teams in the first half, when the game was still competitive:

The Tigers covered 62 yards on their first two plays, lasting 24 seconds. Grant Ressel's 31-yard field goal just before halftime was the result of a six-play, 52-yard drive that spanned 45 seconds. Meanwhile, Navy's first-quarter touchdown drive — 15 plays, 90 yards — was nearly seven minutes long. The Mids' second touchdown required just 68 seconds, but Navy also started that drive at Missouri's 23.

“We tried to change things up with the pace of the game,” Niumatalolo said.

In the process, Navy not only won the game but also likely earned some of the respect Dobbs said the Mids have been seeking.

And it turns out there was no reason at all for concern, let alone fear.

“It's huge,” Niumatalolo said. “To beat a team from the Big 12, as good as Missouri is — this is a good football team. I couldn't be more proud.”

If the Tigers, whom the Mids beat by 22, are good, what does that say about Navy?